PSA: It appears that NBC Sports no longer intends to show the daily replay in primetime. No announcement, but it'd gone from the online guide on my Comcast. Only the morning live broadcast and then a midnight replay.

Tonight we got to watch an exhibition soccer match instead.

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I ride Felt.

Yeah that was a surprise to me, as well. It was nice not having to DVR the live show. Back to it, I guess.

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Chris Harris

+1. Far more entertaining when the athletes are clean as they can't just crush it every day, and I have no interest watching a sport where it's virtually impossible for a clean athlete to win. I'm sure there are still plenty of dopers out there, but I do believe (maybe naively) that enough teams have cleaned up their act and/or that things like the biological passports are at least curbing the extent and therefore benefits from doping, that it's possible for riders to win clean.

I find it interesting that Nibali seems to be getting a lot less doping questions/speculation than Froome and Wiggins did over the last 2 years. Is that because the whole Armstrong saga was still in full flow in 2012/13, but has now died down? Or that people really dislike Sky for some reason (seems odd given Astana's track record and appointment of Vino as general manager)? Or just that I haven't been paying as much attention to the news this year?

It's back on my guide for tonight. I was irritated last night when I turned the channel.

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Loud pawls save lives

Pretty much.......

I love the new parity. I'll always be a skeptic though.
LeMond pointed out that when a strong team's leader goes down it frees up some serious support talent to let fly, like Majka. So it is plausible that he has Saganesque talent. Porte, however has has folded.
Back in the epo and blood bag days, the crazy breaks like Floyd's big day were spine tingling for me and countless other naive Americans to watch. Guys like David Walsh and the French press, however were laughing in the press room. It was a joke to them. I'm happy they were right and that LA and a lot of it has been taken down. I've got a friend in the Euro peloton and he is convinced with a few exceptions that it is clean. But there are always clowns, doing clown stuff.
Great race this year.

Ooh, nice little break by Valverde. Classic move, get 2 of your team-mates up the road first. Even with the lead that Nibali has I'm surprised Astana let them get away with that.

Explain please

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

Hmmm, they didn't make the most of that.

I don't think he is really attacking Nibali, but trying to lock down his second place on the podium. Sure, if it somehow cracks Nibali, he'll take it, but I don't think that is the true intent.

Astana just has to ride tempo to keep him close and let Nibbles take care of it on the climb. Giving Valverde a bit of rope isn't gonna hurt anything.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Riis doped. When you polish something, it is shiny and smooth, a hypodermic needle is shiny and smooth, the connection is obvious.

Nibali still doesn't even look like he's trying

Suck it, Horner and Sky. Nibali is throwing it down today, he's def working hard. Love that he goes on the offensive whenever he's isolated or outnumbered.

Always the best tactic when you get isolated.....best way to prevent others from attacking is to leave them behind!!

Nibbles is showing he was clearly the class of the race....no need for him to go and win the stage today. He could have just ridden wheels....but he wanted to make a final statement today.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Uh-oh....Valverde cracking!!!

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

He showed that the nickname "Shark" is well-deserved, as if he's been waiting to payback Horner and Sky for 2012 and 13.

Clearly just way better than anyone else left in Tour. Would have been one heck of a race had Froome and Contador been in it.

He's about to join a very select group of riders to have won all 3 Grand Tours

Geez, did you see how he passed Nieve? I'm surprised the breeze didn't knock Nieve off his bike as Nibali blew past him. He was flying up that mountain. He clearly is on another level then the rest of the field.

Nibali vs. Horner was epic on thr last mountain stage of the Vuelta. He's a fighter.

That's a signature waiting to happen

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

True. Would have been tight.

Horner had a cup of coffee at the front and Phil and Paul were ready to put him on the podium. Nice little smackdown by Nibs.
He was off the back shortly thereafter.

Staz wrote:

Nibali vs. Horner was epic on thr last mountain stage of the Vuelta. He's a fighter.

Agreed. Nice shoulder check today:

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Suffer Well.

What the hell was horner doing out there today? Only a few conclusions, he was paying back Nibili for something, i have no idea. Launching his final break sitting out of the saddle what looked to me "all" of the time is just stupid unless you are working for the guy. I think we and everyone know now that you cannot stand up and attack for an entire mountain. That has been evident starting about 15 years ago. It could be he knew he was going to blow, and got his 15 seconds of tv fame before the lights went out. Other than that i cannot see what the hell he was doing.

Great stage if you back out the non race for 1st. Still 5 guys for possible podium spots, TJ is going to have to race one hell of a TT.

So I really want to believe. Really I do. I like that Nibali is respectful to thehistory of the sport and rides aggressive. I am just having a hard time with the fact that after a poor year (until the tour) he is SOOOOOOO much better than everyone else that it looks like he is not even trying yet is dropping people all over the road. Remember when ol' Lance use to do that??

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JW (on the comback trail)

+1

Want to believe, but...